A Sales Paradox – Stop Selling and Write More Business

I have asked thousands of salespeople over the last 24 years what they do when a salesperson calling on them starts into their sales pitch. And do you know what they say? It is nearly unanimous. They all say they get defensive and try to figure out how to get rid of the sales person. And they are supposed to be a sympathetic audience! Usually when a salesperson starts into his or her sales pitch you recognize it for what it is immediately. And the sad part is salespeople keep pitching over and over again. They figure if they talk louder, faster or more eloquently they can show how their service is better or is worth more money. Here’s the remedy. Stop selling and start asking questions. Here is a four step process that will get you more qualified prospects and more sales.

1. Get rid of your sales pitch and value proposition. Prospects don’t care about that stuff.
2. Identify two or three things that you do better than the competition. Maybe you have a Customer Service Representative (CSR), or are faster or run small quantities.
3. Brainstorm what kind of problems or pain a prospect would have to be in to care about the difference you provide. For sample, if you are faster the problem might be “We need quick turnaround. or we work on tight deadlines”
4. Go talk to prospects and ask if they have those problems.

If they have the problems that you are uniquely suited to solve, they will buy and will pay the right price. If they don’t have the problem, don’t waste time with them. They are someone else’s prospect.  Here is a conversation example to illustrate:

YOU: I assume your current supplier delivers on time every time.

PROSPECT: Mostly.

YOU: What happens when they don’t … How often does it happen … Does it affect your operation.

Ask them don’t tell them. The paradox of sales is “The way to get the prospect to focus on you is to focus on them”. If you understand this, and ask questions instead of talk about your product you will write more business and stop wasting time with people who won’t buy from you.